Live Review from Sub Terra #1:
1. Ascending Heaven
2. Falling Through
3. Bones (Young Guns cover)
4. Gold
5. Warrior
6. Stop The World (Arctic Monkeys cover)
7. Paranoia
8. Misty Eyed
Asyndeton opened proceedings for the very first Sub Terra show at The Hub with some Arctic Monkeys-inspired Alternative Rock. ‘Ascending Heaven’ began with some soft vocal refrains by singer Benjamin Man, before the rest of the band crashed in with their muddy Drop-D grunge rock.
‘Falling Through’ could easily have passed as an early Arctic Monkeys track, whilst a decent cover of Young Guns track ‘Bones’ instigated a lively call and response between Man and the audience in the choruses. ‘Gold’, which was written about Man’s best friend, offered more variety, with Jack Johnson-infused guitar chords by Harmeet Bhatia, allowing for the Adam Levine-esque vocals from Man to fit comfortably in the mix.
‘Warrior’ came across as a rough and ready number, and the band continued to wear their main influence on their sleeves by covering Arctic Monkeys song ‘Stop The World’ confidently. ‘Paranoia’ was “written in about 15 minutes” according to Man, providing a brash, if not generic Blues/Rock riff, and drum pattern that drew comparisons to The Fratelli’s ‘Chelsea Dagger’.
Considering the age of the band, and the fact it was Joshua Francis’ (bass) first show with them, Asyndeton delivered a promising performance, with a few impressive and intricate solos from Bhatia thrown in. At various points, all members looked nervous, with a few noticeable mistakes creeping in. However, Benjamin Man’s vocals stayed strong and on-pitch throughout, with occasional vocal inflections causing cheers of admiration from the young crowd.
As a live band, the rhythm section could be tighter, and should start to branch out stylistically to accommodate Man’s vocal style. If they address these aspects, this young band could have the potential to be quite formidable in the local indie/rock scene.
– Chris Gillett
不知道Asyndeton是否The Underground有史以來所邀請的樂隊之中最年輕的一隊呢?這隊四人組合成立不足半年,台上台下的大多都是中學生,筆者在中學年代也曾組過樂隊,故事有點尷尬。然而,Asyndeton的表演能力絕不遜於接下來的「大哥哥大姐姐」。他們立足於南島中學、英皇佐治的小型藝術表演,向七人欖球賽、AIA嘉年華等中型舞台進發。下一步,會不會是Clockenflap?
作為首隊樂隊,Asyndeton很明白如何吸引觀眾的注意力。「Ascending Heaven」開始時以迷幻的RnB風格、電子鼓演奏,頭一分鐘最突出的無疑是主音Benjamin Man,他的聲線抑揚頓挫,身體不時蹲下與觀眾接觸,彷彿在台上表演的是Drake…… 片刻停頓後,整隊樂隊急速衝進了一首龐克歌曲。
當然,這隊組合還有空間進步,可能他們成立沒多久,靈感不足,演出中段仍需依靠兩首翻唱曲。然而,四人好像漸漸已開始成熟:他們最新寫的一首歌是「Misty Eyed」,在複雜的結構中,最突出的是結他手Harmeet Bhatia的jazz chords。Asyndeton尋找出屬於自己的風格後,將會前途無限,只希望入大學時不要散band……
– Elson Tong